So that is the point of the Asia Cup. Sorry to come across as horribly ignorant and Anglocentric, but from this distance it has always fallen firmly into the category of a collection of ODIs played between teams who endure quite enough of them already, with all the obvious risks that such games ensue. From memory, it also prevented Kumar Sangakkara from joining Lancashire in 2010, which is close to unforgivable. However this year's tournament, which appears to be the 11th since it was launched in Sharjah way back in 1984, sounds like a cracker – and may be regarded as confirmation that in Bangladesh, world cricket now has a ninth genuine force.

At the risk of blasphemy, their progress to a first final in nine Asia Cup appearances would seem a fair bit more significant to the game's global development than the century that Sachin Tendulkar scored against them last week. Before this year, Bangladesh had managed only two wins from 30 Asia Cup matches. So to reach the final by beating Sri Lanka as well as India despite that Tendulkar ton – a performance that speaks volume for the mental strength of the team, when they could easily have meekly succumbed to a supporting role – represents a huge step forward.

Of course it has not come out of the blue. Even an Anglocentric received a wake-up call about the progress Bangladesh have been making in recent years when they shocked England in last year's World Cup. Unfortunately the euphoria produced by that famous victory in Chittagong was punctured by the collapse to 78 all out in their last group game against South Africa, which cost them a quarter-final place. But the indications of this Asia Cup are that they are tougher than that now, and better prepared to handle expectation (although as this piece is being written while Pakistan are batting first in the final, and therefore before Bangladesh have begun their reply, there is a big danger of tempting fate).

Some reports drifted back to England that questions were being asked about the appointment of Stuart Law as coach when he spent some time in Dubai when he should have been in Dhaka shortly before the tournament. But Law would seem to have formed an effective partnership with Mushfiqur Rahim, the little wicketkeeper batsman who made his Test debut as a 16-year-old at Lord's way back in 2005 – he remains the youngest to play in a Test at the ground – and was still eligible to captain the Bangladesh Under-19s a few months later.

Those who would deny that international cricket coaching can be a merry-go-round may struggle to account for Law, who was preparing to come to England this time last year when he was in charge of Sri Lanka, shaking hands before the final with Dav Whatmore, a former Sri Lanka and Bangladesh coach who is now in charge of Pakistan. But if it can be hard to remember who's coaching who, the message to emerge from this Asia Cup is that Bangladesh now deserve to be taken seriously.

Update: For those who haven't been following, Bangladesh were denied their first major trophy after an absolute thriller. They lost to Pakistan by two runs.